The adoption of driverless vehicles in Pennsylvania depends on resolving a host of legal, regulatory and technical challenges.
But it also may rest on cultivating a more positive public perception, judging by the reaction to draft guidelines for highly autonomous vehicles, or HAVs, published last month by PennDOT.
HAVs include vehicles monitored and operated from a distance.
The guidelines offer standards that operators must meet before their vehicles are allowed on the road, as well as protocols for keeping local governments and emergency responders in the loop.
A majority of the 100-plus state residents who responded expressed deep concern about allowing driverless vehicles on state roads under any circumstances, according to a registry of the comments provided to biznewsPA by PennDOT.
“No vehicle in this commonwealth should be driven without the driver being in full control of the vehicle at all times,” wrote a Cumberland County resident, who recommended doing more to improve public transit instead.
Others worried about autonomous vehicles being hacked or being allowed to haul hazardous materials.
“Let another state test them out,” wrote a Washington County resident.
Were there any fans: Some commenters were OK with autonomous vehicles, albeit with caveats, such as requiring a person on board in case of technological failure or mechanical breakdown.
An Allegheny County resident suggested that driverless vehicles, if allowed for “extremely specific tasks,” should be orange and yellow-striped neon “with flashing lights so all are aware of what they are encountering.”
However, one advocate was concerned about making autonomous vehicles too obvious, perhaps recalling the fate of a hitchhiking robot destroyed in Philadelphia in 2015.
“While it might be nice to know if an HAV is operating in your immediate vicinity, that knowledge might also be cause for unnecessary attention,” wrote a Beaver County resident. In some cases, HAV’s have been targeted by hooligans for acts of mischief.”
The resident suggested using a non-visual identifier, such as a transponder.
Other advocates argued that automated technology could be safer, given the role of human error in traffic accidents.
Why is this happening: PennDOT published the draft guidelines in August and set a 10-day period for public comment.
The guidelines would replace an earlier set published in late 2023 under the aegis of Act 130, a 2022 law that governs the testing and deployment of driverless vehicles in Pennsylvania without an operator present.
A PennDOT task force is weighing the feedback before finalizing the guidelines, an agency spokesperson said.
The mixed reaction echoes a 2022 survey of state residents in which 64% of respondents said they were somewhat or very uncomfortable sharing the road with driverless vehicles. Only 14% were very comfortable.
More than four-fifths, or 83%, said they would not be comfortable sharing the road with driverless tractor trailers.
The background: Companies have been testing self-driving vehicles in the Pittsburgh area for years, and Pennsylvania officials hope to make the state a leader in the field.
Players currently active in PA include Pittsburgh-based Aurora Innovation Inc., Pittsburgh-based Stack AV and Motional, which is a joint venture between Hyundai and automotive tech company Aptiv.
As the feedback indicates, the challenges are not just about the hardware and software. Image is also an issue.
Steve Deck, who recently retired as executive director of the Harrisburg-based Tri-County Regional Planning Commission, suggested more public outreach will be needed to quell people’s concerns.
“Easy to understand, short and sweet press information in various formats should be getting out there to allay people’s fears as much as possible,” he wrote in comments to PennDOT.
